On December 5th, 2024, Vinny Gwinn and I climbed the North Face of Mount Borah (AI2, 5.4, III) after retreating from the nearby Psycho Therapy (5.9+, M6, WI4, III) due to a lack of ice.
Idaho’s tallest peak, 12,662 foot Mount Borah, is home to some of the most renowned alpine ice and winter mixed routes in the Gem State. Located hundreds of miles from the nearest city, Borah gets less attention than one would expect for a state highpoint. By summer the peak sees moderate traffic via its easiest route, the Southwest “Chicken Out” Ridge, a mostly second class hike with a few steps of exposed fourth class scrambling notorious for rejecting the uninitiated. In early fall, with consistent freezing nights but before the first substantial snow event, several alpine ice routes ranging from AI2 to AI3 will form on the north face. The standard North Face (AI2, 5.4, III) is an Idaho classic. When in optimal condition the route provides 2000 feet of consistent 50-60 degree alpine ice stretching from Borah Glacier to the Northwest Ridge. After first snow, melt-freeze conditions provide lifeblood to a few testing mixed climbs on the lower north face. Borah Borah Borah (5.7R, WI3, III) and Psycho Therapy (5.9+, M6, WI4, III) are the two notables. Don’t be confused by the stated water ice grades: rarely, if ever, will fat or consistent ice conditions be found. Instead, ice will form as smears, serving mostly to glue the friable and notoriously loose dolostone intact. The first ascent of Psycho Therapy did not place a single ice screw. Accounts from the very few ascents of these ephemeral routes pen tales of runout climbing on suspect stone, with enigmatic features such as “snow chockstones”, “overhanging mud”, and “frozen dirt sticks”. When I asked Dean Lords, Idaho climbing legend and Psycho Therapy first ascentionist about mixed climbing in the Lost, he replied: “the allure isn’t so much the quality of the routes, or conditions, but rather, that ephemeral mixed climbs even exist there.”
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Psycho Therapy was the apple of Vinny and I’s eye on December 5th, 2024. December is generally considered too late for routes on the north side of Borah. The drought prone continental snowpack of the Lost River Range delivers dicy avalanche conditions, deep snow buries alpine ice, and what little water ice exists on the mixed climbs sublimates without melt-freeze conditions. However, the early winter of 2024 was pretty dry. A mid-November system delivered several feet of snow to the mountain west, but the proceeding two weeks were unseasonably warm. Early season ice conditions on Montana’s Sphinx Mountain, and in Wyoming’s Teton Canyon, were generous. We hoped 2024 could be the year to nab a late ascent of Psycho.
We approached the north face via the Mike Howard Traverse, using a hand drawn map from Dean. We left the Southwest Ridge at 8,600 feet and traversed laterally north, across the west face, for 1.75 miles of rugged bushwhacking through unforgiving high desert forest, crumbly rock and ball bearing faceted snow. An unsuspecting rappel, and high stakes down-climbing on snow covered fourth class slabs, delayed progress. From a saddle at 10,600 feet on the Northwest Ridge we passed a lone Big Horn Sheep and began our descent to Borah Glacier following a steep, loose and vague ramp system. Having heard horror stories from this supposedly low-fifth class, cryptic and extremely loose traverse we expected a severe twist around every bend, but fortunately passage was straightforward. That said, we benefited greatly from a tactile surface of wind blasted snow. Weak snow or dry conditions could raise the stakes. The ledge system gets less than body width in many places, the rock is underfoot and for handholds will crumble with so little as a sneeze, and the exposure is dire. We reached the Borah Glacier about five hours after departure.
We eagerly rounded the wall of Psycho Therapy hoping to see a spectacle of glinting ice, yet were disappointed to find a 100% bone dry, and unnervingly dark, gash couloir. We deliberated briefly about whether ice may be hidden, or whether the route was climbable when fully dry, but ultimately sided towards caution. December days are short. 11:30AM was veering on recklessly late to start up a grade three, 1000 foot, alpine mixed climb of M6 difficulty, in any but the best conditions. Had there been fat ice we would’ve surely clocked in for the night shift, but today just wasn’t the day. Even though we were long overdue for alpine ice conditions, we resolved to blast up the classic North Face in the name of fitness. The 2,000 foot route was about 50% concrete-hard neve, 30% steep snow, 5% alpine ice and 25% dry rock. We belayed two short pitches approaching the Northwest Ridge. The first was a 60 degree crystal clear AI2 runnel capped by poorly protected 5.4 rock climbing around a chockstone. The second was scary unconsolidated snow climbing over jumbled talus fins. On the Northwest Ridge we packed the cord, expecting 200 feet of fourth class terrain. Instead we found several sections of exposed vertical rockcraft. The difficulties would have been negligible in approach shoes, but at 12,600 feet with rotten snow, icy rock, and crampons, I was engaged. Vinny forged ahead with his trademark bold style. I bonked, made some critical route finding errors, and got stranded in fifth class terrain I couldn’t down-climb, with multi-thousand foot exposure. After composing myself and meticulously negotiating some thin mono-point slab moves I hope never to repeat without a rope, I leaned on Vinny to blaze the way, and trailed his coattails closely. We reached the summit of Mount Borah at 4:00PM.
We descended a very snowy Southwest Ridge to the car in about three hours, accompanied by a spectacular sunset. The namesake “Chicken Out” fourth class crux was plastered with thick snow and very exposed – slow business by headlamp and crampons. Although we didn’t succeed in our first objective, nor climb the North Face in prime conditions, this was a 13 hour day of the finest quality. The north face of Borah is a raw, remote, and foreboding place. We didn’t see a single human during our 24 hours spent camping and climbing on Borah. Why there wasn’t a lick of water ice on the entire North Face remains unclear, but other such accounts suggest that could be Lost River Range standard. Enigmatic is the word. We’ll be back.
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DISCLAIMER
Ski mountaineering, rock climbing, ice climbing and all other forms of mountain recreation are inherently dangerous. Should you decide to attempt anything you read about in this article, you are doing so at your own risk! This article is written to the best possible level of accuracy and detail, but I am only human – information could be presented wrong. Furthermore, conditions in the mountains are subject to change at any time. Ten Thousand Too Far and Brandon Wanthal are not liable for any actions or repercussions acted upon or suffered from the result of this article’s reading.
Ten Thousand Too Far 
Great account, thanks! Nice outing.
Sent from my Galaxy
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